This wonderful classic combines three unbeatable elements: a sea story, lively and dynamic characters, and a protagonist who undergoes a transformation.

Harvey Cheyne is the pampered son of a multimillionaire who falls off an ocean liner and is rescued by a small fishing boat. After being punched in the nose by the captain of the small vessel for smart-mouthing him, Harvey quickly learns respect, toughness, and gratitude. He steps up from self-centeredness into the difficult but fulfilling realm of self-reliance and unselfishness.

A popular favorite since its first publication in 1897, the novel remains a classic story of youthful initiation and a lively tribute to the author’s famous code of bravery, loyalty, and honor among men.

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Quotes & Awards

“[Shows] delicacy of craft and violence of feeling, exactitude and wile impressionism, subtlety and true innocence.”

Angus Wilson

“Lots of action and interesting conversations portraying life aboard a fishing schooner keep the pace moving.”

" It was different from I expected, and I think what I expected would have been more interesting. I kept waiting for the plot to happen, and then realized when I was almost done, that what I'd read was the plot. Oh well. Still, a good educational experience. "

DPetrichor | 1/26/2014

" This book gave me an insight into a fisherman's lifestyle.Though there were a number of passages where it was a bit difficult to understand the fishermen dialect ,however it was a good read overall. "

Juli | 1/21/2014

" I loved the story and I loved the premise of the novel but because of the story being written in dialogue, and the use of shipping terms the common man doesn't understand, I had lots of trouble following the story. The novel moved at a strange pace and the drama was often lost because of a lack of understanding. "

Jacqueline | 1/16/2014

" Don't remember this one very well. I might read to the boys so we can all enjoy it. "

Ben | 1/14/2014

" So far this book is my one of my favorites books I ever read because it teaches everyone a life lesson or two. "

Luckngrace | 1/14/2014

" I loved it! Captains Courageous is a sailing ship version of "Deadliest Catch" that can be read in one sitting. I've never read Rudyard Kipling before because all I could picture was the cartoon movie of "Jungle Boy", but I very much enjoyed this family-friendly adventure that explores what really makes a man a man (and it ain't money, as we Southerners say). "

Jeff | 1/10/2014

" Nice coming of age story where the dangers of riches are highlighted and a boy on the way to uselessness is saved by seasickness and a wave that washes him overboard to a new life. Kipling tells the story very well. I will read this story to my son when he is about 12 years old. "

Emma | 1/9/2014

" Yeah, I read it. I am so proud b/c it was pretty impossible. I got nothing out of it though :( "

Spencer | 1/8/2014

" Pretty quick read, thick with nautical slang that leaves your head spinning like a storm, but good allegory of story of growing American in 1900s and how to become a solid worker. "

" THis was ok, but the version I read was by "books on tape" and I didn't like the reading the narrator did. I was expecting more excitment. "

Dustin | 7/6/2013

" so far its okay i only read the first couple of chapters "

Peter | 7/2/2013

" The only book I've read that captures the feeling of the open ocean. "

Katie | 6/1/2013

" This was a good story and obviously very well written but this just wasn't really a book for me. Found it slow going and difficult to enjoy. Sometimes a book is just not for you and for me this one wasn't. "

Brett | 5/18/2013

" The colloquial language is a little hard to read and the story seems more or less to be a children's story. I wasn't fully buying into how quickly the main character kind of goes through his transformation. "

Robert | 5/15/2012

" Read aloud to my family in the car. "

Rachel | 4/9/2012

" The sea-talk in this book makes it a bit weighty, and the book seems to be a little too neatly wrapped at the end, but it's a decent read. "

Benjamin | 2/12/2012

" Interesting for the background on the turn-of-the-century fishing industry, and this has a quick start and a compelling end, but my interest waned in the third act. Should I give this an extra star because a central character has the impossibly amazing name, "Disko Troop"? "

Stephen | 12/22/2011

" I think knowing more about sailing terminology would have made the book more exciting. I enjoyed reading a book so old. "

Kris | 11/5/2011

" I couldn't finish this book. I really, really tried, but the dialect simply made it impossible for me. Maybe I'll pick it up another day. "

Ted | 10/2/2011

" A bit hard to follow with the choppy New England dialect written out but a solid book none-the-less. Never have read it and it was time I did. "

Alaind | 8/27/2011

" The 1937 film adaptation with Spencer Tracey is rather mint... "

Chris | 6/14/2011

" Assigned to read in/for prep school I believe but I wasn't drawn in and abandoned the effort. Date
half-read is a guess.
"

Chelsea | 6/6/2011

" The interesting part of the plot happened in the first two chapters and the last two, bookending a description of the day-to-day life of North Atlantic fishermen. It was mildly interesting for a while, but I found myself skimming quite a bit towards the end.
"

Ben | 5/23/2011

" The sailor speak was tedious to read. And it was pretty boring.
"

S. | 4/28/2011

" Sometimes it was not fun doing heavily accented English to English translating, but over all I did enjoy this book.
"

Kathy | 4/27/2011

" THis was ok, but the version I read was by "books on tape" and I didn't like the reading the narrator did. I was expecting more excitment.
"

Anita | 4/25/2011

" This is an excellent short adventure story. I think one thing that Kipling does particularly well in his short books like this one is to capture the speech of the characters and although I know very little of ships, it seems as though he has effectively use d the vocabulary of the sea.
"

Jay | 4/21/2011

" You know, it just doesn't hold up very well. That's a general observation. Harvey's transition from spoiled snob to eager fisherman was just too quick; and the dialect and jargon were real stumbling blocks. About halfway through, I just lost interest.
"

Kris | 4/20/2011

" I couldn't finish this book. I really, really tried, but the dialect simply made it impossible for me. Maybe I'll pick it up another day.
"

Roger | 4/10/2011

" Good book. A little preachy and certainly anti-"old money", but a page turner and the ending was satisfying.
"

Ruthy | 2/26/2011

" I liked this book because it inspired "girls overboard". This is something between my sister and I.
"

Dustin | 2/10/2011

" so far its okay i only read the first couple of chapters
"

Lizardman449 | 1/17/2011

" I think that this book was an AWESOME book. I had to read it for school and I am glad I did. I would recomend this book to anyone older then 9 years old.
"

Jay | 1/16/2011

" It's a classic, so I thought I should read it. It wasn't bad...but the accents made it very hard work.
"

Carmi | 1/7/2011

" Good, a bit too short for my taste in books
"

Molly | 1/4/2011

" Not as overwhelmingly captivating as *The Jungle Book,* but a lovely sea-story and coming-of-age tale. Something I imagine roguish 9- and 10-year-old children would love. Also, interesting to see Kipling write about the United States.
"

About the Author

Rudyard Kipling (1865–1936) was born of English parents in Bombay, India. At seventeen, he began work as a journalist and over the next seven years established an international reputation with his stories and verses of Indian and army life, including such classics as The Jungle Book and Kim. In 1907 he became the first English writer to receive the Nobel Prize.

About the Narrator

Wanda McCaddon (a.k.a. Nadia May or Donada Peters) has narrated well over six hundred titles for major audiobook publishers, has earned numerous Earphones Awards, and was named a Golden Voice by AudioFile magazine.

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